POV Narrator:
Friday, 14 September 2018, Luna Nova
After the RPG game things were getting pretty quiet in Luna Nova, this time the attention started to be all around Hellene, who was becoming the new prodigy of Luna Nova, standing out more than Diana, drawing attention for her magical ability, but also for having a well defined body with muscles, which was something that drew attention, but it was something that only the students liked, the teachers still kept Diana as their favorite student, because of her behavior, although she had changed a lot with these months. McLaren herself didn't like this exaggerated attention being given at all, just wanting to live in peace in Luna Nova, without being asked to do everything, besides having to show her magic all the time, just because she became the new highlight, even being the youngest student. In this time Daryl, Merrill and Maril have been plotting a way to get the redhead kidnapped.
POV Daryl:
Two weeks since the brat showed up, she seems to have a routine already established around here, which will be good for us to be able to think of a first plan, I think this will serve for a test too, soon she goes out for a walk and that will be good to get a distraction.
"Merrill, come here" I tell her who walks over to me.
"What's it going to be this time, mum? We're getting tired of this forest, there's no internet, it's cold and on top of that we're eating badly" she said all fresh, but it's part of the plan, sometimes you have to suffer a little, she has no idea what I went through when I was locked up in reform school and she wants to think this is bad.
"Don't complain girl, that's not much, when you are arrested you will know what is really bad, but anyway, without running away from what I have planned, you will capture Hellene and lure her into an ambush, we came to set her up through the ruins of Polaris, she will be scared to death of that bear and run away from him, luring her into our trap, you will pretend to be her colleague and distract her" I explain to my mother in detail.
"What if she gets suspicious?" Dumbest question.
"Try to pretend well she won't be suspicious, just turn up like it's a normal walk, get it right and we can think about getting something more decent to eat today" I tell her who nods in agreement.
POV Hellene:
Ready for another day of training, I see the lassies still sleeping, it seems I'm de only one who wakes up that early, I go to de canteen where I drink de raw eggs afterwards, finishing that I go outside where I start stretching, giving myself some warm ups, before I start walking, come on Hellene you're goin to be strong today.
"As always alone around here, good morning Luna Nova" I say to myself.
Finishing stretching and warming up I start to go for a walk, today has already given a difference to last week, it seems dat it cooled down, well at least dis way I get less sweaty and fresh to continue exercising, come on, walking, one two, one two, one two... dis landscape is so beautiful at dawn, it gives me even more motivation. It is very good to know that in these days my relationship with Diana is getting closer and closer, so she and I can be closer sisters, that is very good, Akko is also helping a lot, Mari not to mention... Marianne... This lassie... Ahhhh, better not fill my head with that.
A few minutes later...
Whew... I finished walking 'ere and my legs are already very tired, I dink I ran more than I expected, well this will give me more strength I 'ope, I sit on the bench and take a water, but strangely I see Marianne... What a strange thing, what is she doing here at this 'our, soon she notices me and I signal 'er to come to me.
"What are you doin at this 'our Mari?"
"Just training you know, since I saw you training I thought of starting too" She said and I even got a smile on my face.
"Ahhh that's cool, den come with me, I'll show you de basics for you to train your lettle body, you'll be very strong, just keep going often and you'll become a witch with a cool body" I said showing 'er my arm.
"Ohhhh, sure, I'll love to hear how you do it" she said excitedly.
'Ow strange Mari is 'ere, well she must 'ave already walked and dis outfit of 'ers at least is ideal for training, we both went to de Luna Nova gym, I started doin some repetitions, doing de leg training, where I put 200kg to lift quietly on my legs, and wow, how strong dey are getting really.
"Come on it's your turn" I tell her who was all scared.
POV Merrill:
I can't believe my mum got me into this, Hellene is going to disassemble me here, she can simply lift all this with her leg and still not make a face, it's like a normal weight for her.
Luckily Hellene takes a lot of the weight off to my relief, leaving only 40 kg, which still scares me, but I think I can lift it.
"Of course 200 kg you can't lift, right, dis is a weight for dose who are already training for a long time, let's start lightly with only 40, our legs are strong enough to lift dis weight, so don't worry" she said and I was about to enter the machine.
POV Hellene:
She will manage easily, it is not a lot of weight, I myself started with 40, when I was still very skinny, now dat I am older I don't even remember how I looked much smaller dan I am now, mommy Laura really 'elped me to be strong, now I will 'elp Mari to be like dat.
"Ahhhhhhhh, how do you manage? How often do you work out like this?" she asks and I just shrug.
"I train one day for legs and another for arms, I train every day as I told you, but I never told you what I do in weight training, now you just 'ave to let your body go, it will adapt, with time your legs will be huge" I tell 'er all excited and she was making a face.
I take advantage and go to de other machine to exercise de leg, putting de pin just to lift almost everything, let's make these calves huge, I look at Mari in the background, she was shaking with 'er legs, 'ow cute, it's because exercising like dis in the beginning is really complicated, but de results come, there is a little pain, but then there is a gain.
- Ahhhh, I can't take it anymore" she said getting out of the machine.
"If you can't stand it, you'd better not force yourself, or else you'll end up hurt, now come on this one" I tell her.
A weight training session after...
POV Merrill:
I am an idiot, she is going to make me exhausted like this, my legs are already hurting a lot, I hope I can at least fool her, I am already relaxing my legs and drinking a lot of water, this is too tiring, I don't know how she can stand doing this so often, it's not for nothing that she is so strong, my mother should be afraid of her, this girl is not kidding, if she blows we all three will fly away.
"Hey Hellene, shall we go for a walk?" I'll already start fooling her that I was going to use a spell to ventilate myself with icy air.
"What? Oh yeah, where do you want to take me? I'm up for it" Hellene said, starting to fall for it.
"It's a surprise" I tell her just to get her all fired up.
"A surprise, eh? I love surprises" she said cheerfully.
We leave the gym and I start walking, then I start running, she follows me and keeps up with me calmly, she even passes me, how did this little girl get a leg like that? I still don't know, what the hell, I run with more intensity, we are arriving at the ruins.
"Look at someone on their first day, your legs seem to 'old up well, just be careful not to 'urt yourself" she said.
I see the place, I run and she follows me, even smiling looking at me, seriously I feel bad for doing that, she's just an innocent girl, there's no reason my mum should chase her because of all this.
We arrived exactly where I wanted, I hide myself in one of the ruins, and I turn into a snake entering through one of the holes that were dug, I'm crawling through it until I get in a stairway, I go back to normal and sneak through these stairs.
"Mari? Marianne? Do you want to play 'ide and seek now?" she said, calling me, but what the hell.
I manage to get to where I wanted, here I have a view of her in a sneaky way, I use my wand pointing at one of the walls and go about causing illusions of Marianne, which Hellene goes falling like an idiot, walking to where I wanted.
"Ahhhh, so it's going to be like this? Mari! We can't be late for class" she said not even knowing what's coming.
I just keep watching, she arrived exactly where I wanted, right in the bear lair, I keep watching everything from far away, kind of feeling bad, I hope the bear can't attack her, or else I'll end up dying, I don't know if it will be in Daryl's or Laura's hands, if it was Laura's I think it would be less worse, the creature is revealing itself, starting to smell Hellene.
"Mari! Stop it! Dis is not de place for dat kind of..." Now she's turned around.
She will scream so much with fear now, I can't wait to see Hellene's reaction, our trap is going to work very well now, sorry for everything cousin, but I have to obey my mother's orders, really... Sometimes I don't want to be in this, it is all a big nonsense, aunt Bernadette was a nice person and aunt Laura is too, she never mistreated us, they were always very nice to us, I never understand why the mother wants to put her daughters in a fight of her own.
"Arcas! You've grown up, big boy!" What? She knows Big Bear and he's docile? I can't believe I'm seeing this, damn it.
The whole plan went down the drain, how the hell does this little bitch know this Bear? Well, now I can turn back and just go to Arcturus, but soon my phone vibrates, I check it and there are messages from my mum.
[Mum: Don't even think about going back to the forest, I'm watching everything from afar, scare the bear and give the faces I don't want failures here Merrill] 7:51
Shit, I then get on my broom and go towards Hellene and the bear, I start to cast a spell from far away to distract them both, the bear goes into the ruins with fear and Hellene goes looking around.
"Oh, who scared Arcas?" She said until she looked at me.
POV Hellene:
One of Daryl's clones, I already suspected a trap, I just got carried away to see if I can capture my own, so dat's it? De coward sent 'er daughters to do the dirty work, but let's see if dey will last alone against me, she casts another spell in my direction, but dis one I catch using my prosthetic and deflect into de air.
"Ey clone of Daryl come down here and come fight for real?" I say clenching my fists and teasing, I glance back and see Arcas all scared and she actually came down, standing on top of the ruins.
"Now if it isn't Hellene McLaren, you really have come to fall into an ambush of ours" She said laughing and using a spell to multiply herself as Arcas went growling with a little fear.
I wasn't intimidated by it, if I can get to 'er, I can get to the mother, I go up, I 'ad already seen de first copy and I 'it a well placed punch to 'er face, catching 'er left, with my magic I intensify de force and she is thrown with everything towards some constructions, which Arcas even sticks out.
"No need to go to 'er, Hellene can handle it" I say, cracking my fists.
She gets up amidst the debris, which I continue standing, until I feel something coming from behind and dodge it just turning to the side, it was the other clone that came to 'it me with a blow on the neck, I take the opportunity to throw another punch and the impact launched her just in the direction of de other, making a kind of pile.
"Are you just goin to stand there?" I tell them.
"I think you're the one who shouldn't be standing still," said a voice from Daryl that almost hit my neck, but as I dodged it turned into a snake wrapping itself around my leg, throwing me towards de ruins.
I manage to pull myself together, I use de wall to support me, when I see 'er standing supported and looking at me from afar, I notice she 'as a rope covered by some leaves what I had an idea, I start to go teasing Daryl.
"Do you think this is really going to provoke me?" she said, and I knew it was a stupid idea.
I use a teleportation spell, I stop behind Daryl, but before I 'it 'er with a punch and throw 'er towards de stone she disappears, de two appear next, but I just duck and take advantage of de gap to kick one that catches well on de rope and is thrown into the trap.
"Yeah! Who's next? Did you really dink dat dese traps would solve anything?" I tell dem and I could already see that the prey was getting loose.
I go to take advantage and go on top of de one that was still loose, she catches well for me, I go to punch 'er, managing to look down, I notice I 'ad, a rope and she knew it too, but I'm smart, I use my magic to tease de rope which hits Cavendish's leg and that leaves only Daryl, where dat coward went.
"Show your face, you coward!" I call out to 'er and go up 'igher amidst the ruins, but nothin.
De damn wanted to hide even, the two lassies den got loose, I even went following dem, but dey were opening a smoke to distract me, I went using my magic to feel dem, at least get capture one, but dey are being good in running away, what the 'ell... I use my magic to shoot a spell against one that left a lettle 'urt, then I give a punch, what I go feeling something bigger almost catching me by behind, I deviate myself and was Daryl in snake shape, she goes starting to follow me.
"Oh so now de coward has decided to protect de children?" I say teasing 'er, I take advantage and go up anyway.
I 'it de snake's body with my punches with magic stunning it, which it won't be able to go over, boeht I end up false stepping into a trap, which lifts me up with a rope, Daryl gets back to normal, boeht holy lesbian mary, now that was happening, I go starting a fire spell to put out de flame.
"No, don't even think about running away little girl, now you are under my power" She said intimidating me, I still went trying to attack 'er back, but she is defending 'erself.
"What do you want with me you cunt?" I tell her.
"I just want to have you in my hands, now close your eyes you'll be dreaming a lot from now on" She said aiming 'er wand at my face, but she then stops.
A spell is cast towards 'er, I take advantage of de distraction and cast a small flame on de rope, managing to get loose, she notices that I got loose and starts to use a fog spell, I go kind of climbing de walls, so as not to be out of de field of vision and be caught from behind, I try to feel de magic, but it seems that dey are underground, damn crawling snakes.
"You can run away all you want Daryl, I will still catch you!" I say this to 'er and when I look back it was teacher Chariot, I wave to 'er, who waves back, in this we go flying together to 'er room.
One more attempt from dem to try to catch me, but thankfully Chariot showed up to 'elp, the bad ding was that I could have even been kidnapped in dis one, I look at de bottom of the ruins of Polaris, it was really close, she is smart enough to nullify my strength, I have to be smarter dan 'er, it's no use having muscles if my brain doesn't keep up with 'er, what's de point of all this if I can't land a punch.
POV Daryl:
We managed to escape, going back to the middle of the Arcturus forest, that was a close one, damned brat Chariot, she always comes to disturb, she could have caught Laura's daughter now and get one more step in the blackmail, I then look to my girls and they were already afraid of what is going to come, I can't believe that a simple thing like that we managed to fail.
"Damned! Stupid! Incompetent! How could you fail in a basic mission like this? I only asked for one single thing from you two, a simple mission" I tell them giving them the biggest scolding.
"So why don't you go out with Hellene? She hits too hard, you know? I got my whole body aching just from her punches, try to defend yourself against that!" I slap Merrill right across the face.
"Say it again you little bitch? Answer your mother again? You're the one who's weak and always has been! You're the one who doesn't know how to work properly! If she wasn't a weak and imbecile we would have made it, it's just a stupid punch! She's just got those fancy muscles" I tell her, scolding her.
"It really hurt, but we made a mistake, I'm sorry mum, I accept that you come to educate me" said Maril, who turned to me with his back to me and I started to take the whip.
"You too Merrill, you can turn your back, and stay by your sister's side, you weak and useless, if you were complaining about Hellene's punches, now you will complain about my whip" I tell them already starting to see her taking off her blouse and getting her back to me.
"Mum... We had nothing to do... Even you failed... Ahhhh" I give Merrill a good quieting down with a whipping, so she'll be real quiet.
"Don't justify your failures, your failures are your responsibility, now you will feel their pain in your back, I told you that you had to make your plans right and you always fail, you useless, how many times I have to teach you that"
"Mum... This is cruel, we are two adult women, why do you still punish us like this?" said the questioning woman, who took an even harder whipping.
"Your grandmother brought you up the same way and it's because she didn't beat Bernadette enough that we're in this, now you two be quiet or I'm going to have to gag you" I say as I continue to flog.
POV Hellene:
Whew, I arrived safely in teacher Chariot's room and she even gave me something to eat, I'm all relieved, honestly, it was very close, even feeling some pains, not for nothing, but de training today was 'ard, I should have taken more weight, but if I was really de real Marianne, I could hurt 'er.
"It was close, Hellene, you have to be more careful, you know you could die if you get caught, your mother would be in the most despair if Daryl caught you" she said.
"I know Chariot, I did it to draw attention and purposefully provoke dem, if it wasn't for dat trap I would 'ave won, I would 'ave distracted dem enough to get caught" I say half frustrated.
"If I had not allied myself to Croix my career would not be ruined, if I had two wheels I would be a bicycle, look girl, we don't have to think about the what if, but about the risk, you are risking too much... You have to be careful not to sink like Croix" Said de teacher and I understand.
"I'm not going, I just wanted to see how far it goes, we have to be able to keep Diana safe as well, it was close dat Daryl got me, but you helped a lot" I tell her.
"You have to think harder Hellene, you went alone without any help, they could capture you" I nod my head, she sounds like my mother... But Chariot is right, I can't risk it like this.
I finish eating, the dish was really delicious, Chariot made several pancakes and 'ow I love dem, dis is really good food... But now dat I dink about it I feel sorry for de clones, I wonder if they are really invested in 'elping deir mother... De two of dem look like dey were brainwashed to act according to deir mother's orders, poor things, I could notice in one of dem dat dey 'ave marks of aggression and dey weren't mine, dey must really get it from deir mother.
"Well don't be late for your class, they'll be starting soon" said de teacher.
I soon finish eating, thank 'er with a 'ug and go back to de corridors, I'm even impressed a little, I dedn't dink I 'it dat 'ard, I even notice a red on my 'and, but I don't show it too much, I go back to de room and see dat de lassies 'ad already changed.
"You took too long Hellene, what happened?" Mari asks.
"One of Daryl's copy daughters turned into you and tricked me into trying an ambush, I kinda knew it, she all interested in lifting weights, wanting to train, now I don't dink she'll walk tomorrow hahahaha" I say all calm, but both of them were like amazed.
"You what? Hellene! You're saying you were almost kidnapped and you're laughing?" said Mari shocked.
"Almost what? What's all this about?" said Annabel.
"Ohhhhh, she still has no sense of history, does she? I forgot that Annabel doesn't know the truth yet"
"I promise to keep it a secret" She said and we both stared at each other.
Hellene first takes a shower, then ends up first telling everything that happened in the morning, ending up telling what happened during all these years and the truth behind her relationship with Diana...
"Girls, I'm in shock... I didn't even suspect this, Hellene is Diana's sister, now it all makes perfect sense" she said impressed.
"Look Annabel, dis is our secret, by all dat's sacred, don't tell Diana anything, I'll still tell 'er the truth, boeht dis is not de momen" I tell Annabel, who just shrugged.
"Our secret, I assure you, I've got secrets too, not a whole story like that, by the way, that's great for a book, seriously Hellene, your two's story would make a fucking great book, I'm sure I'll add it to Mila's past, the new Night Fall character, two magical mothers who are being forcibly separated, who love each other very much and yet..." At the time Marianne just puts her finger over Annabel's mouth.
"Don't even bother going there Annabel, it's the story of someone who's been through a lot of trauma, quiet that pen of yours" she said and I just went on scratching the back of my head laughing a lot.
"Ah it's ok, I don't care much" I tell dem.
"Hellene you're too nice, it shocks me how you go through so much shit and still have a heart like this" I just shrug anyway.
"And why not? My mother always told me dat I have to be nice, she always said that de best people are dose who are nice, on top of dat she was a lovely person, my other mother was also the same ding" I tell 'er.
"You have to impose yourself a little more, look at your size... Not in terms of height, but in terms of muscle mass, you're the kind of person who just by raising your voice makes everyone quiet"
"I understand" I tell 'er, but I don't see de need.
"Ahhhh, really, how very silly of you, but I'll let it go, you're lucky your friends aren't trying to get over on you, because it's the sort of behaviour someone very manipulative would love to use" She's sounding like my mum now, de exact same words, so much I roll my eyes.
"Let's go to class" I tell 'er who shakes 'er head.
After the morning and afternoon classes, they all gather in the courtyard, where things were already relieved to see Hellene as a prodigy...
Today was a quieter day, it seems dat de dust is abating, none of the lassies want to worship me too much, I can be quiet in the canteen with my friends, so much so dat soon de second year girls will arrive, I am even happy to see dem around 'ere.
"Ohhhh, you lassies around 'ere, I even missed you" I say with a smile on my face.
"Wow the people here really like you" Akko said.
"Oh you 'ave no idea, it's so boring, I just get disturbed all the time, I feel bad even denying it" I say scratching de back of my neck.
"That's because you're too nice" Said Marianne who came stubbornly to dis, by de nine witches, now dat's going to be it.
"Too nice?" Akko asks.
"Oh, I know, ye're one of those who does everything and dinnae show that ye're bothered, aren't ye Hellene? Ye can take all the hassle" said my sister and I nodded my head.
"Ah total Diana from before! She was like that, but with the teachers and the higher class, she kept pretending to behave" Akko said and I don't pretend, I'm just like that.
"Boeht I'm not pretending, I just see no need to be rude to everyone, people deserve more love"
"It's Diana" Hannah and Barbara said together, gee I'm having one more ding in common with my sister.
"The difference is that Diana knows how to be rude," Akko said.
"I'm nae rude, I just say things sincerely, even though I still have a little problem with saying things in order nae tae make things worse and sometimes I settle for the norms, I still say things with a straight face, anyway, ye have tae stand up fae yerself more Hellene, people are cruel" Said my sister, now she's going to be like Mamma Laura, for de nine witches.
"This one is too stubborn, this little box has to understand that" Mari said, pointing at my forehead.
I just eat, kind of not caring much about what dey say, I just don't see de need to act like that, people can be cruel and I know 'ow they are, but at the same time I prefer to be nice to everyone, not bothering anyone, being nice, anyway, it's better to be like dat. I finish eating and even try to divert de conversation a little.
"And de RPG? Are you lassies playing tomorrow?" I ask them.
"You bet I will, I've been thinking about playing in it all week" Akko said.
"It's very interesting tae play, I want tae see how far we get" Diana said.
"Remembering that things are quite different when "The Night fall"" Annabel said and we even had a few laughs.
"I thought it was a D&D like any other, now I want to know why that night fall" Said Mari curious.
"Ahhhh, things change a lot, some classes change at night, just remembering that the species you are is random, you could end up being humans, werewolves or vampires, you'll only find out when night falls" Annabel said.
"And do the attributes change?" Jeanne asks.
"They change for better or worse, it depends on their species, but pay attention" Now it's interesting, I'm goin to love being a cool vampire, it's goin to be like a Witchvania hahahaha.
"And do you 'ave any inspiration from any of the series? Like besides Night Fall, we'll use holy water to attack dese species, or use a whip, face vampire hunters hahaha" I said laughing.
"Yes, you have to be careful with exactly that, the hunters are quite dangerous, in fact I picked up a lot of their Castlevania inspired weapons" Annabel said and now I loved it.
"Ohhhhhhhh, I love Castlevania, dis just got even more interestin" I say all excited.
"Here's the interesting thing, the first morning is just D&D, after that the game is all night, as you become nocturnal" Annabel said.
POV Narrator:
The first of many attempts by Daryl to capture Hellene which could all go well, if it wasn't for the factor that McLaren had Chariot by her side who showed up at the best time to save the girl from being almost caught, things that are about to get a little tense but may take a while to get back into action due to the twins recovering from injuries.
See you, ambush witches...
Daryl Cavendish Stewart
Date of birth: 20 November 1975
Place of birth: Edinburgh, United Kingdom, Scotland
Height: 1.66m
Weight: 48 kg
Sexuality: Pansexual aromantic
Gender: Female (Cis)
Occupation: Unknown
Measurements (bust/ waist/hip): 88/57/90
Hair colour and appearance: Platinum blonde with greenish highlights, wavy 2C, medium length, reaching to the shoulder line, usually in a backcombed ponytail.
Eye colour and shape: Cyan
Physical appearance: pale Caucasian skin, slender body, rectangular nose, some age wrinkles across face
Likes: Money, power, control, admiration, fear, authority, dominate
Dislikes: Bernadette Cavendish, Laura McLaren, working, being submissive, Luna Nova, Cavendish Family
Bernadette Cavendish's younger sister, a person who doesn't have the slightest empathy and humanity, after a lifetime of long suffering for too much being seen as the second sister of the family, creating a huge envy of the older one. To the point of committing and still committing atrocities in the name of their greedy goals, all Daryl most wants is to have the leadership and power of the Cavendish family to your side, without caring to hurt anyone around, Daryl is a person who does not measure his words and will always say a way that will lower the other person in favor of looking better, in addition to that she spares no effort to mentally torture anyone who is ahead.